We'll Carry On
by Dakir
Summary: The Vytal Festival. Usually a time for celebration, but on this day of remembrance, Ruby visits an old friend. (One-shot)


Ruby climbed slowly up the path. The sounds of the Vytal festival were behind her, fading into the background as she left them behind. Tonight was a special night. Tonight was the night that all of Vytal commemorated the fallen hunters and huntresses that had given their lives for the wellbeing of humankind. She lifted her head to see the wrought iron gates of the cemetery before her. It was supposed to be a happy night, celebrating the lives of those that came before them, but she would not be a part of the festivities. Instead, she chose to come visit an old friend, an old partner that had fallen in battle against the Grimm. In her hands she carried a bundle of white roses, their smell wafting up to her nose as she walked.

_Well,_ She thought, _Here I am._ She pushed against the large gate, swinging it open, and stepped into the cemetery. Walking along the plateau, she passed the many rows of gravestones on her way to her destination. She read the names as she passed them even though she already knew most of them by heart. It still saddened her to see so many hunters and huntresses had fallen, despite having been here many times before.

She moved even further into the rows of gravestones, the music and celebrations almost inaudible behind her. Finding the gravestone she was looking for, she placed one knee on the ground. She rested the roses on the ground in front of the grave and read the inscription for what felt like the thousandth time:

_Here lies Weiss Schnee, huntress and friend to many_

"_Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow _

_for the heart has no metrics or form of measure_

_And all of it irreplaceable"_

Ruby sat down in front of the grave, wrapping her hands around her knees, _How did I let this happen?_ For the thousandth time she asked herself, _Why couldn't I stop this? What kind of leader am I?_

For the thousandth time, she buried her face in her legs, tears beginning to slide down her face, _Why wasn't I strong enough?_ _Why?!_

She sobbed for what must've been at least an hour, berating herself for allowing her teammate, her partner to die. It felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, and she simply couldn't bear it. What made it worse was knowing that there, underneath the ground, rested only a torn scrap of Weiss' clothing that she had been lucky enough to find before the Grimm ate it.

_What a horrible death it must have been._ She thought, for the first time thinking about exactly how her partner might have met her end. _Although she went out like a true huntress, taking some of the bastards with her. _

"Ruby?" A familiar voice came from behind her.

Ruby turned to see a girl's black hair blowing in the light breeze, "Blake." She said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see someone," Blake explained, "And I decided to visit Weiss." She said, her mouth forming a small frown of concern.

"Oh." Ruby said, turning her head back to the grave.

"Ruby," Blake said, sitting down next to her and crossing her legs, "Are you alright?"

Ruby laughed without humour, "I let her die, Blake. If I had been with her, this wouldn't have happened." She paused a moment to wipe the tears from her face, but they were only replaced by fresh ones, "So no...I'm not alright. I should be the one in the ground, not her."

"You can't blame yourself for her death, Ruby." Blake replied, "It truly isn't your fault."

"Of course it's my fault!" Ruby snapped, "If I had been there, this wouldn't have happened!" Her voice rising into a yell, "If I had been there, Weiss might still be alive!"

Blake looked at her teammate for a moment before answering, "One of the burdens of being a leader, Ruby, is having to take responsibility for the actions of your team." She said slowly, "You may think that what happened is your fault, but nobody else will agree. Weiss knew what she was getting into when she signed up to be a huntress, we all did."

"But she was my friend. I should've taken better care of her." Ruby said, returning her face to her knees, "I should have been there."

"But you weren't, Ruby. There is nothing any of us could have done." Blake replied, "And, because she was your friend, there is no way she'd want you to blame yourself for this. Of course this is a tragedy," The older girl said, her voice catching just the slightest bit, "But we have to keep our heads held high. We have to carry on in memory of those that went before us...and those that we've lost." 

The two sat there for a while, simply staring at the grave of their friend. Ruby always marveled at the skill with which the Schnee crest was elegantly carved into the stone, _It's the little things, I guess._

After some time, Ruby slowly wiped the tears from her eyes once more. "Blake...I'm sorry for yelling at you."

The older girl lifted a finger to her eye, discarding of a single tear that had formed there, "Don't worry about it." She said, getting to her feet, "I'll leave you be. Make sure you make it back to Beacon in time for curfew though."

Ruby turned and watched the girl walk away, _I'm not the only one suffering because of her death…I can't forget that._

She returned to the gravestone, reading it over one more time, "Weiss…" She whispered, _I'm sorry that you had to go so soon...If I could change one thing, I would take your place in a second. _She thought as she got to her feet, _But I have to play with the cards I was dealt...And I have to move forward. Not only for my own sake, but for the sake of those around me._

She stood, stretching her legs, as they had cramped up being in the same position for so long. Her head raised to the sky, seeing the fractured half of the moon hanging there. Something caught her eye, and she turned her head towards the city.

Before her lay one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

Floating in the sky were hundreds of candles, like little beacons in the night. She walked over to the fence, resting her arms against it. The candles drifted easily in the gentle breeze, and the once tranquil night was now alive with light. _This is for all the fallen._ She recalled, _They release candles to raise up the souls of the dead...to bring them into flight._ She stood there, eyes wide, watching with wonder, _It's...amazing._

She didn't know how long she stood there, simply watching the candles float higher into the sky. It was as if she could feel her partner standing next to her, watching the spectacle along with her. This was a magical night. Of that, there was no doubt.

She thought she felt something brush her shoulder, but when she turned, there was nothing to be seen. She didn't know what it was that brought her back over to Weiss' grave, but she felt like she had to. What she found there stunned her.

She bent to look at the roses she had placed earlier, and on them was a small film of frost.

Ruby smiled as a single tear fell from her face. She stood, the magical lights hanging in the sky behind her, and closed her eyes. She brought a hand to her heart and clenched it, feeling again as if Weiss was standing right there with her.

_In your memory...Weiss...I will fight on._


End file.
